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NUTP Reacts To New Primary, Secondary School Assessments

Jan 21, 2026

The abolished PT3 and the new Form 3 assessment generally serve the same purpose.  

Fouzi Singon, the Secretary General of the National Union of the Teaching Profession, says both are aimed at helping students choose their ideal stream for upper-secondary education... whether it’s science, arts, or technical and vocational. 

The new Form 3 assessment will start next year, with students being tested on 5 subjects; namely Bahasa Melayu, English, Science, Maths and History.  

Meanwhile, Fouzi has played down comparisons between the UPSR and the new primary school assessment for Year Four pupils. 

He says the UPSR was more high-impact, leading to added stress for pupils, their parents and teachers.   

He adds, the assessment allows for early intervention to be carried out before students transition to secondary school. 

PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the centralised Year Four and Form 3 assessments yesterday, when launching the new Education Blueprint 2026-2035.  

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The Blueprint will also allow parents to enroll their children in Primary School from 6 years of age, starting next year. 

However, the Education Minister says they won’t be automatically accepted, as a diagnostic assessment needs to be done to determine if they are ready for formal schooling.  

The move also means that such students will eventually sit for the SPM a year earlier, at age 16.  

Fadhlina Sidek says it is not an entirely new policy, as students in schools such as the  

Pendang Science Academy already take the SPM at that age.